Medicine
by 1Past and Present1
Summary: Wounded from battle, Po bonds with Tigress on the journey back home. But this closeness is not exclusive to them.
1. Chapter 1

They take refuge from the downpour in a room of the inn that has been kindly offered for their use overnight, free of charge, as a reward upon saving the denizens of this distant little village.

Tigress sits as if in meditation, her upper body bare, adorned with stripes that curve harmoniously together, as if frozen whilst dancing over her muscular frame. She's built to be hard, unyielding, underneath velvet. Her training perfected what was already natural for her kind.

"You're gonna be okay," Po murmurs calmly, balanced on his knees before her, bolstering himself and his companion with a reassuring smile. It lights up his face, scuffed and muddied, a bruise forming on his brow. "I've got this, don't worry."

She says nothing, but she isn't silent due to any embarrassment. He doesn't make her feel uncomfortable in such a way. She's disturbed by the battle they narrowly won.

Those were no ordinary bandits.

It is obvious, now, that leaving without the remaining Five to attend to such a seemingly mundane matter was foolish of Tigress and Po. But this is the extent of the confidence they have in themselves and in each other.

Shifu will lecture his students fiercely once they return.

Po's green eyes are warm and friendly, with a depth to them that he is still growing into as the Dragon Warrior. "Ready?"

Tigress sighs, then mutters, "Ready," in a tired voice.

Slowly, he reaches for her.

Her eyes follow his paw. Such fiery intensity can still be unnerving, but her willingness to be vulnerable serves as a testament to how sincerely she trusts him.

Gently, he applies pressure to the gash in her powerful shoulder.

She doesn't flinch.

He has learned not to be squeamish, maintaining a brave countenance as blood seeps through, warm under his paw. He's tended to her wounds, before. But he hates seeing any of his friends hurt.

She is unbothered by her injury, losing focus on the dangerous bandits, instead contemplating how it's always different when they're alone, together. Without the chatter of the remaining Five, such things become strangely intimate.

* * *

"But your shoulder–"

"I'm fine. Turn around."

Po obediently revolves.

Tigress moves closer, bringing with her a strong herbal aroma, arousing a chain of shivers that have nothing to do with the heady balm but are entirely caused by her proximity.

He wonders if she can hear his racing heartbeat.

"I will probably hurt you. I'm sorry."

He bites his tongue as her paws, her primary weapons, settle over his back. Her touch is delightful, except for the predicted onset of pain.

"Sorry," she mutters, one of the rare times in which she repeats herself in so brief an instance, if at all.

"N-no, you're doing great! I'm just, uh…"

"Ticklish?" she asks mildly, her paws busy massaging balm into the place where a blow thankfully did not fully land. She is not disgusted by his layer of fat. She tries to remember the games she used to play with Shifu when he taught her to control and harness her immense strength. "You always use that same excuse."

"Do I?" Po turns his head this way and that, trying to see what Tigress is doing. "Really?"

"And you always react like this whenever I remind you." She smirks in her understated manner, bright eyes narrowed with concentration upon her task.

"Fine, so I'm predictable." He folds his heavyset arms, trying not to wiggle. "Then you already know my ticklishness is not an excuse! Not entirely!"

"Because feathers are your other greatest weakness, after stairs."

"See?" The panda squirms momentarily, again, despite trying so hard not to. He manages to keep his voice cheerful as he adds, "You should write my biography."

"That would be something." She already remembers what he'll say next, her smirk deepening. The routine helps alleviate the fact that she is hurting him, despite her efforts at helping him heal.

"Then again, maybe you shouldn't."

"Why not?"

"If a bad guy got hold of all that intel you've gathered on me over the years, then he'd know how to beat me for good, for sure. Or she. Whatever, you know way too much about me, dude. Seriously."

"And I will always feel so privileged."

"Also, please don't become a masseuse. Some people aren't as… ticklish… as I am."

"I have no intention of walking that path, I assure you."

* * *

After saying their goodbyes and accepting parcels of food and drink, the pair of warriors departs.

Tigress accepts grimly that she cannot gallop on all fours without genuinely risking her shoulder. So she jogs upright, moving at a fraction of her potential speed, pacing herself with huffing breaths. She remembers how she and the Five first came together. She was left behind, trying so hard to be Shifu, before she dared to defy her Master and embraced her animalistic nature.

Beside her, Po jogs, too, managing to hold most of the conversation.

They cover ground for much the day, then set up camp in a clearing amidst bamboo as the night falls.

After eating, Po reclines on his side, his back pressed to a cool rock. Abrasive, but numbing.

Tigress remains upright, eyes closed, as if she is already asleep.

He fondly studies her.

She can sense this, but she doesn't mind.

"You know…"

"Are you about to get sentimental?"

"Yeah."

"Alright."

"Even after knowing you and seeing you in action for all this time, you're still the same fresh sort of awesomeness, to me."

Her expression briefly falters, crumpling shyly, before reasserting itself as cool indifference. "Thank you, Dragon Warrior."

Contentedly, he closes his eyes, too, fading into dreams.

* * *

"Po?"

"Mmph. Ten… more minutes, dad."

"Po, it's me."

"I don't wanna go… to school."

"We're not going to school."

"Where… we goin'…?"

"To the Jade Palace." Tigress patiently taps his nose a few more times, drawing him further out of his sleep.

"To… Kung Fu?"

"That's right."

"Yay." Despite his admiration, he groans whilst stirring beneath her, opening his eyes tentatively in her shadow. "I love–"

Her face is the first thing he sees, circled by a backdrop of the soaring green bamboo shoots and shards of blue sky.

"Tigress," he whispers, awestruck.

She opens her mouth, closes it, then chuckles, faintly smiling, something affectionate in her defeat.

"Did I oversleep, again?"

"Yes. Only a little, this time."

"Oops. Well, morning, then."

"Good morning," she replies pleasantly.

For a while, they stare at each other.

"You smell nice."

She risks another defeat, but manages to control herself, as she usually does. "Get up, Dragon Warrior. We need to go."

"Oh. Right. Okay."

She helps him to sit, flecks of dirt falling from his injured back.

"Ow."

"You must've rolled over in your sleep."

"Guess so." He grits his teeth as her paw sweeps the dirt away in a single downward stroke, causing another chain of ripples in his flesh.

She acts like she didn't notice this. She acts like she doesn't notice many things such as this.

"How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine." She moves her shoulder beneath the crude bandage, indicating no discomfort.

"Hard-core." He fondly punches her other arm, striking what feels like a solid wall covered with a very nice drapery. He whimpers.

* * *

They wish that there had been a goose villager willing to convey the message that the pair of warriors are to arrive later than expected. It would prevent worrying.

"I guess I could try running on all fours. Maybe you could sit on my back?"

"I'd tire you out, no offence."

Po isn't offended. Rather, he blushes rosily at the unintended innuendo.

Intrigued by his conspicuous hush, Tigress glances his way and frowns. "What?"

He helplessly giggles, vaulting alongside her, easily clearing a narrow break in the earth.

They are using a mountain pass as a shortcut.

"Did I say something funny?"

"Nah, you don't have a sense of humour."

She takes a playful swipe at his ear, her claws sheathed, missing him by a breath.

He increases his pace enough to move ahead, his giggles morphing into a boyish laugh that echoes.

"Very mature of you, Dragon Warrior. You'll cause a rockslide."

"You can't catch me! You can't–"

She easily returns to his side, taking his elbow in her paw.

"You caught me."

"Yes, now keep your voice down and mind the gap."

His blush remains bright, even as he winks at her. "So commanding."

She lets him go, scoffing.

Together they throw themselves over a wider fissure, bodies arching at their height of their leap.

* * *

By evening, after having both students tended to by a proper doctor, Shifu does lecture them. But it is a succinct enough lecture, underpinned with thankfulness at their safe, albeit tardy return and his worry over their report of the unusually skilled bandits. His piercing blue eyes leave the most impact upon dismissal.

"Don't tell the guys I said this," Po whispers to Tigress on their way out, "but we're definitely his favourites."

"Uh-huh."

"Aw, don't be like that."

"Like what?"

"Cranky."

"Perhaps I prefer being this way."

"No way! I mean, you can be a bit surly, sometimes, but we just had an adventure! Sang a few songs–"

"There was no singing."

"Whatever, we bonded and stuff. You can't be cranky. Not after that!"

"Eloquent, as always.

"Hey. You have to be a bit nicer to me from now on."

"Why?"

"Um. 'Cause our relationship has… developed."

"Mm. Forgive me. I get 'cranky' when I'm tired and in need of a bath."

"Dude, same. I am itchy all over!"

"With that said." Some comic excuse for a bow. "Excuse me, Dragon Warrior, but I'm leaving, now."

"You know," the panda says with some volume as his friend parts from him with a swish to her tail, drawing his eyes to her subtly shapely backside, causing him to stumble over his next words, "my title loses a lot of its importance when you use it sarcastically!"

"Later, Po."

"No matter how hard we bond, you still aren't as nice to me as your action figure!" He sets his hands on his hips, realising the unintended innuendo only when she casts a smirk at him from over her bandaged shoulder.

She is not flirtatious whilst doing so. Not exactly. It's deliberately hard to tell. She looks ahead again almost as suddenly, as if to yank his heart out of his chest with the motion.

He reaches for his bosom. "At least your action figure didn't mock me for real. In my imagination, sure, but that's different."

The real Tigress doesn't hear, because her friend's words were whispered and got lost in the cool breeze, her departing figure cutting an invincible shape in the dim.

"So awesome…"


	2. Chapter 2

Po adores these stories. He listens with rapt attention to every word, shoving food into his mouth as quietly as possible so as not to miss anything that is said. His big, green eyes dart between each speaker, committing their facial expressions and bodily language to his impressive memory.

The friends are seated outside, enjoying festivities from a higher vantage point.

Someone has gotten married to someone else.

"Eventually, Viper and I were–"

"Wrapped up in each other," says Mantis, earning a snigger from Monkey.

"Don't be so lewd." Crane shakes his beak disapprovingly whilst turning down his hat, concealing the curve of his smile. "Please, continue your tale."

"Thank you. We couldn't separate in time." Tigress takes a moment to glance at her bandages, testing the shoulder beneath. It doesn't hurt. She's actually doing this to distract herself from any nervousness, as she doesn't often contribute to these recollections, preferring to keep most of her history to the second-hand accounts of others. For a change, she thought she'd try speaking more. It's possibly because of the wine. "We were still so new to each other. We lost balance–"

"In front of Shifu," Viper interjects, leaning on a striped arm. "I got a look at him on our way down. He was not impressed."

"And we fell into the Jade Tortoise–"

"Of Wisdom!" Monkey throws a fist into the air, making a circular movement for effect. "But you looked so silly, rolling around!"

Manis bellows with laughter, joined by Monkey's melodramatic collapse and Crane's softer amusement.

Po is too enraptured to find this hilarious, fixated on Tigress as she turns to gaze warmly back at him, finishing the story for his benefit.

"Our Master had to hold the Tortoise steady until we managed to untangle ourselves."

"Because these guys were not helping."

"Yes, and years later, they remain as unhelpful."

"It's funny now, but we were mortified, then." Blue eyes flutter shut. "You were blushing, Tigress."

"Viper," the word is almost purred through a velvet smirk, "I was a teenager."

"Yeah, you used to be so cute, too. What happened?"

"Excuse me. I take offence to that."

Monkey slowly sits upright, again, wiping his eyes, Mantis clinging to his shoulder.

Crane relaxes, elegantly shifting his weight.

"Wow."

The friends give the Dragon Warrior a shared expression of interest, because he's using a tone of voice he usually uses when he is experiencing a revelation or epiphany of sorts.

"You guys are so awesome."

"What, that's it?"

"Well, uh…"

"We're not even kicking tail."

"Okay, sure, but whatever! You're awesome at everything you do. I still can't get used to it. This is… real. I'm not dreaming it. We're hanging out!"

"Aw. That's so sweet, Po."

"Guys, sorry for the mush, but still. I mean, there's more I could say, but… I don't wanna embarrass you. So be glad with 'awesome' and 'totally not a dream' for now."

"Duly noted."

"Good thinking." Mantis waves Po aside. "Too much flattery and one of us might drop his hat."

"Yeah." Monkey winks up at Crane. "Like the time that pretty lady friend of yours said she liked your Kung Fu."

The hat wobbles precariously, then is stilled by quick talons.

"She travelled all this way, alone, because she heard about your success, here." Viper coils around Tigress' arm without thinking. "So romantic!"

"What was her name, again?"

"Mei Ling," Crane murmurs, trying to merge into his hat as it threatens to fly off of his head due to mysterious forces.

"Maybe it's the heat," Tigress says quietly, intending to tease, giving the impression that she actually can read minds. "I can feel you burning up."

"Nice one!"

"Would you like some water? It might help you cool your head."

"Ooh! Go for a third!"

"Sorry, I'm all out."

Po sets his empty bowl down, feeling full, although he could easily eat more. It's this companionship. It's this life.

"What about you?"

"Me?"

"Got a story to share?" asks Mantis, Monkey nodding encouragingly beside him.

Crane is grateful not to be the target of any more affectionate jests, lifting his hat enough to peer intelligently at the panda.

"Nothing… awesome. Heh."

"I don't believe you, Dragon Warrior."

"Bah." Po tries not to shudder beside Tigress. "You know everything there is to know about little ol' me."

"I dunno. There's something pudgily mysterious about you."

"Are you feeling shy?"

"Me, shy? Please."

Viper reaches past Tigress, tenderly prodding Po.

"Guys, my life was super dull before I met you. You know that."

"Your father is an interesting man," Tigress offers politely. "And I've always been curious about your woodworking skills."

"You… like my action figures?"

"Don't tell anyone, but I think they're – what's the word?"

"Cool?"

"Yes." She smirks at him. "Cool."

His heart really might leap out of his chest.

"Tigress, you do realise we all just heard you say that."

"And you shall not repeat what you heard. Understood, Crane?"

"Yes," he says in a small voice, his elegant throat shifting with a gulp. "Po, uh… Why don't you tell us about the intricacies of running a restaurant?"

"Yeah. How did you give Shifu food poisoning, anyway?" asks Mantis, receiving a glare from Monkey. "What?"

"I… sneezed into his order. I was sick, okay? It was a rough day. And I felt super bad about it."

"Our Master's illness was unfortunate." Tigress places her paw on Po's back, where the wound has mostly healed. "But look at all the good that has come of it."

The remaining Five all nod in agreement, smiling their differing smiles.

The pressure of her calloused palm on his bruised flesh doesn't hurt. Instead, he lifts his chin, reassured, and says in a brave voice, "You want a story?"

"Yeah, man, we've been waiting."

"I did throw a radish at a rowdy customer, once."

"What did the guy do?"

"He was rude and just, like, generally unpleasant to everyone, you know? But then he started hitting on a rabbit, making her feel super uncomfortable. Guy was a pig to my dad, too. No offence to pigs. He wasn't actually a pig. He was a boar. So… kind of a pig, but… that sounds really ignorant of me to say…?"

"Didn't your father tell him to leave?"

"Sure, but the guy said he was a paying customer and had a right to finish his meal. And that was kinda true. I offered to make it a takeaway and he said… Well, he said no. But less politely."

"I would have broken his arm."

"Tigress, violence is not always the answer."

"My fists don't negotiate, Viper."

"What'd you do then, Po?"

"I threw a radish at his head."

"Where'd you get him?"

"Right on the nose. Skadoosh."

"Awesome."

"He said, 'Aargh! My nose!'" Po mimics grabbing at his muzzle, swaying, as if about to careen, voice nasally. "And he tripped over a chair and fell backwards, like, 'Whoa! I've tripped and I'm falling backwards! Help! Noooo! Life, flashing before my eyes!' And then blam!"

Tigress keeps her paw on Po's back, hefting him upright with ease.

"Did you send him away, squealing?"

Mantis inclines his head at Viper's intensity. "So much for pacifism."

"Nah. He got real quiet, picked himself up, and sat down where he wouldn't bother anyone. He looked…"

"Humbled," says Tigress.

"And I felt so bad, afterward. You ever been hit by a radish?"

"No."

"Can't say I have."

"Not that I recall."

"It hurts, guys."

"Radishes are quite dangerous projectiles, assuming one applies enough velocity. Could shatter small bones." Crane realises that this isn't helpful when Monkey lightly slaps his feathered breast. "B-but boar snouts are quite flexible, so, um… the force probably would've rebounded and done less dama–"

"Shush."

"Sorry."

"I didn't regret standing up for my dad, or for her, or for any of the other smaller folk who wouldn't be taken seriously if they tried." Po frowns thoughtfully into the distance. "But I was a big lad. Maybe the radish wasn't necessary, if I'd just gotten out from behind the counter and faced him head-on like my dad. Maybe, if I had been brave enough, I could've used words instead of, y'know, a radish."

"A radish isn't so bad."

The panda redirects his thoughtful stare at his friends.

"I've had way worse stuff thrown at my head." Mantis points accusingly at Tigress. "Ask her."

"I apologised," she answers mildly. "Let it go."

"Never."

"If you guys had been there, instead of me…" Green eyes wander over their faces. "What would you have done?"

"I'd have thrown him out, literally," replies Mantis, huffing. "Guy was a creep. Who cares? I've faced hundreds of bullies and thugs just like him."

"I'd have pulled down his pants," answers Monkey, "and he'd have tripped over a banana, not a chair. Heh. Then I would've told a joke on the spot and gotten that whole place laughing."

"I would have told him firmly to behave or leave the premises." Crane tries to appear as masculine as he can.

Viper just hisses, which somehow communicates enough without communicating her intentions at all.

Po's eyes settle on Tigress, then.

She flexes her jaw, but her emotions are otherwise unreadable.

He treasures her answer above any other and she sometimes fears disappointing him.

Taking a quick breath, she answers calmly, "I'd have thrown at least a dozen radishes."

The corner of his lips quirks upward. "Really?"

"Then I'd reach for the cabbages." She flexes her arm, to Viper's delight. "I'd clear out the kitchen, probably, and end up fired. Then I'd run away and learn Kung Fu in isolation, surviving on the land, relying only on myself, growing stronger and faster. I'd develop my style of Kung Fu free of civilisation."

Mantis hums.

Monkey scratches his head.

Crane tips his hat a little further back.

Viper contemplates the muscular arm in her grip.

Po grins. "You'd live in a cave?"

"I'd have no home." Tigress is pleased that he likes her nonsense. "I'd wander, untethered. A myth. Or maybe a legend."

"And fight bad guys wherever you go?"

"Yes."

"And maybe you'd wear a cape and a hat like Crane's, but cooler?"

"There is no cooler hat than mine!"

"I think such a heroic ensemble would suit you better, Dragon Warrior, even if you aren't the lonely wandering kind."

"You didn't use my title sarcastically."

"Why would I do such a thing, Dragon Warrior?"

"And there you go, being sarcastic, again." Regardless, Po is awestruck not only by Tigress, but every one of his other friends, too. "Thanks, guys. I feel better about the radish."

"Except for Crane. He didn't help at all."

"Hey!"

"Ah, you guys." Po opens his arms, as if to embrace the world. "I love you!"

"We love you, too, Po."

"Eugh."

"Don't deny your feelings, Mantis."

"I don't have to say them out loud or get cuddly with people in order to feel my feelings, Viper."

"Of course, you're way too mucho to emote. A bit like Tigress."

"Leave me out of your squabbling. I'll win."

"I'm not too mucho for a hug," exclaims Monkey, clasping Mantis against his cheek, some odd embrace.

"Guh." One best friend reaches in turn for another. "Fine. But I'm gonna complain."

Crane extends one wing over Monkey, the other over Tigress, handsome beneath the shadow of his hat.

She remains comically stoic as Viper squeezes her arm tighter. "You're cutting off my circulation."

"Shh."

"This isn't very hard-core, but…"

Tigress' eyes widen when Po nestles into her side, resting his head against hers, her paw gliding over his back to unconsciously settle closer to his ribs. He's too round for her to feel the bones, but holding him is like embracing comfort.

"This is awesome."

For a while, nobody moves, nobody says anything.

"I could stay like this for hours," coos Viper, hardly breaking the silence and the stillness.

"Please, let's not do that," mutters Mantis. "You're drawing power from our bodily heat, aren't you? You reptile."

"Yesss. Essspecially Crane."

"Guys, quit it."

Monkey makes a happy sound, forgoing words.

Tigress turns her head slightly, touching Po's brow with her chin, where a bandit had punched him before she punched the bandit back, much harder.

"You smell nice," he whispers.

She accepts defeat with a low, throaty rumble.

"Are you purring?"

"No."

"Sounds like you're purring."

"I hear it, too."

"I'll put my fists in your ears."

"Too many ears, too few fists, Tigress."

"Don't get wise with me, Monkey. I'm ferocious."

"The world has never known greater ferocity."

"Thanks, Po."

* * *

I am not new to this fandom. I used to write for it back in the day (I'm kinda old) and I have positive memories. So, I'm back, I guess.

Perhaps I was vaguely inspired by Viper/Tigress fanart I remember seeing. Far as I know, links don't work, here. Said fanart isn't mine.

If you were wondering, I ship pretty much anyone/anyone, including f/f and m/m. Maybe that's your cup of green tea.

Why the update despite the 'complete' tag? Indecision. This fic may turn into a more expansive plot. I dunno. I have ideas regarding actually competent bandits. At least, I would like to try my hand at character development and relationship building for the heroes, in a more mature setting. But I have never specialised at plots. It's always about characters. Anyway, I wanted to write something that was trying to be cute, so hooray, this may have worked.

I very rarely use author's notes and I'm awkward, so you might not see another one of these and if you do, I hope I don't make you cringe too hard.

Thanks for reading. I'm going, now. Oh, and I hope you enjoyed.

Buh-bye.


	3. Chapter 3

"Don't worry, little one."

Crane takes off his battered hat, exhaling shakily, eyes on Viper as she slithers slowly by, demonstrating her grace and control over the rugged terrain whilst cradling a swaddled infant in her battered tail.

"We'll find your parents." The strain in her voice is enough to make his chest hurt almost unbearably, far worse than his injuries. "Be brave for me, okay?"

With wet eyes he looks to Tigress.

She grunts, hefting rubble on her good shoulder, the other weeping afresh from agitation. In applying her brute strength, she frees a family from their torn home, the rabbits hurrying between and around her braced legs, babbling incoherent gratitude.

He feels a tug on his ruffled wing and gazes down at a child, dust and ash caking her cheeks.

Po is on his knees, retrieving salvageable things. He is reminded of a cub's doll discarded in the ruins of a panda village, years ago.

"I'm no expert, mind you, and my eyesight's a little foggy," says an elderly pig, unhelpfully poking the Dragon Warrior with his cane, "but those bandits fought with some skill and they worked together as a team."

"How inspiring." The comment is only partially sarcastic.

To see such mean, selfish individuals – mere bandits with infamously black souls – twist their bodies to protect each other was inspiring.

"It's Kung Fu, isn't it?"

"Yeah." The panda's soft, round belly hurts, peppered with bruises. He can deflect many blows, but his defences are not impenetrable and the enemy had greater numbers on their side. "You're right, sir." He sounds sedate, even to himself.

"We've had bandits attack our village, before, of course. Who hasn't, these days? But this…"

"Someone must be teaching them."

"Surely, no self-respecting Master would do such a thing, for the sake of criminals?"

"Kung Fu is beautiful. It's the most beautiful thing in the world. But sometimes Masters lose their way."

"That is not comforting."

"No." Po sniffs wetly, glad that Tigress doesn't overhear his weakness, even if she wouldn't insult him for it. "It's totally the opposite of comforting. It's very, very not-comforting."

"What do you plan to do, Dragon Warrior?"

Silence.

"Our village won't be the last." The elderly pig prods again. "That's the tragic thing about bandits. What little treasure they escaped with, even their very lives, will never be enough to satisfy their greed. Such miserable, misbegotten scum. Inside, they are like bottomless pits, crying hollowly."

"Are you a poet, sir?"

"I dabble."

Mantis tends to the injured villagers, assisted in his tasks by Monkey, who lifts their spirits with comforting talk whilst checking for broken bones.

* * *

Viper didn't find the mother or the father, but did succeed in discovering a surviving grandmother. Blue eyes are fire-lit, brighter still with disappointment and sorrow for breaking what felt like a promise to alleviate some of this tragedy.

Crane surrendered the girl to a kindly couple, willing to adopt. He stays close to Viper, now, sharing in her heartache.

Mantis has fallen asleep in Monkey's hands.

Tigress is bent and stern, her face brought forward, toward the fire. The light catches her teeth like shards, bared as Po tries to take care of her reopened shoulder.

"Don't beat yourself up," he says, eventually, the only one to speak.

"I suppose I shouldn't," is her sardonic reply. "Those common criminals did a fine job of that for me."

"Hey."

"It's humiliating."

"I got a good knocking, too. Doesn't make us less awesome. We defended a lot of lives, today. Nothing to be ashamed about."

"The bandits almost overwhelmed–" She growls when he puts his paw under her chin, but doesn't resist the caress that follows.

"Stop that."

"Po…" She feels him trace the tense muscle of her throat. "Let me be angry at myself."

"It's not your fault."

Crane tenses, then lowers his hat.

Viper's tongue briefly flickers, tasting him.

Tigress glares at Po, showing fangs.

He smiles back at her.

She is defeated again, her expression contorting with tender emotions, like the cub that felt alone.

He moves to take his paw away, only to give her an affectionate little press on her nose.

"We need to quell this." She allows his touch to remain, quickly burying most of her emotions.

"And we will. But right now, we need to rest and not destroy ourselves, okay?"

"And in the meantime, they'll prepare to strike, again. How many more people will die?"

"We can't let ourselves think like that. We just have to do our best and have hope."

She accepts a palm against her cheek.

"I'm sorry," he whispers, his face lingering close to hers. He is reminded of how he once fled his responsibilities when told of Tai Lung's return. "But no matter how dark things seem, we're the good guys, Tigress. And no matter what villainy throws our way, we'll win. Somehow. Always."

"We just have to be brave," finishes Viper.

Crane watches a tail tilt back his hat, exposing him to her kind eyes.

"You were brave, even if you don't think so."

"I could hardly speak. That girl… She lost everything. I tried to help her, but…"

"And when I no longer held that baby boy, I wanted to cry. I looked for you. And then I found you. You reassured me, like I knew you would."

Tigress silently brings her forehead against Po's.

He closes his eyes, feeling her blood, her fur, her breaths, her heat, her strength.

Mantis snores in the protection of Monkey's caged fingers.

* * *

Shifu receives their message from a goose in drab clothes who was willing to make the journey. Despite all that was said, the Master clings most of all to the news that his students are alive and in one piece.

The goose is permitted to recuperate in comfort, attended to by staff.

Shifu withdraws, easing his old bones by sitting on a step. Here he considers his options for aid.

There are Masters Ox and Croc. If the foreshadowing proves true, their assistance will be greatly appreciated, but they will be distracted with the safety of their city.

Shifu hesitates when considering the students from neighbouring academies, but draws from memory names of particularly talented individuals, even when compared to the mettle of the Furious Five. It's a short list which he continues to narrow down over several minutes of thought.

A breeze.

"I have a headache."


	4. Chapter 4

"It's been days." Viper anxiously rubs her snout. "This feels so cruel."

"No food, barely any water…" Mantis' eyes wander tiredly. "I dunno what they've done to him. Serious brainwashing stuff."

"We've gone so far as to degrade ourselves with pleas." Crane fans his face with his hat, his humid feathers clinging to his skin. "That monster doesn't care."

Monkey treads his brows with his fingertips, eyes narrowed. "We could still try to transport him to prison."

"That's a long journey to make with a hostage."

"I could fly. Carry him all the way."

"He'll be just as quiet behind bars. He's probably been in prison before, anyway. Old news for his type."

"And you'd put yourself in danger."

"We've gotta let him go, guys." Po squares his shoulders, solemn. "Give him something to eat and send him away."

"And then what?" Tigress asks quietly, sitting apart from the others, her back toward them. Contemplating things she doesn't talk about.

"We follow him to the bandit stronghold. Stealth mode."

"He won't go back. He knows we'd follow."

"Where else would he go?"

"Wherever he can prey upon the weak. Some unfortunate little village. A caravan."

"What if we force him to take us to his boss?"

"He knows he'd be killed for it. He isn't afraid to die, but he seems loyal. It would be a betrayal." She hesitates. "We need a greater incentive than preserving his life."

"How do you convince someone who isn't afraid of death? That's, like, the scariest thing."

"No."

Po watches Tigress slowly rise to her impressive height.

"Death isn't the scariest thing."

"What're you saying?"

She stares at the ground between her feet, at the head of her shadow, where her face would be. She sees only a dark void.

"Tigress?"

"All of you, listen."

Their eyes are on her firm, straight back, an unforgiving plane of muscle and bone under silk and fur.

"I'll do this for your honour. For the innocent lives of those people."

"Do what?" Po murmurs, his stomach lurching strangely.

"What I have to." She reaches for the bandaging on her shoulder, the wound beneath yet to fully heal.

"W-wait..." He realises what she is talking about. "You can't!"

"I will, but you won't."

"No, no, no! This is… I… Tigress, you…"

"Any harm I inflict will be necessary. Non-lethal." His appalled gape is the first reaction that greets her when she turns to face her friends. It hurts slightly worse than the horror she sees in the rest of them. "I'm so sorry."

"You aren't a monster," Viper whispers. "You expect us to let you do something monstrous?"

"We love you." Monkey puts his hand on Crane as if to seek support, whose hat is lopsided, beak bent.

"We can't let you do this, Tigress."

"Don't be an idiot." Mantis has hopped onto her uninjured shoulder, prodding her cheek hard enough to make her flinch. "Don't make us stop you for your own good."

Po says nothing, his big green eyes brimming with unshed tears.

Tigress is forced to look away.

"Don't make us fight you."

"Do you want to save those lives? Then let me through."

"There has to be another way."

"We don't have the time. We've wasted enough already." Brushing Mantis off of herself, she takes unyielding, miserable steps toward the room that holds their captive, drawing closer to the others whilst doing so. "If you stop me, now, those lives will be lost." She's looming, threatening.

"He's a person. An awful person, but..."

"I know."

The remaining Five turn to each other, allowing her to brush past them.

Po reaches for Tigress, weak and sick, his paw finding hers.

"Hard-core," she whispers, momentarily squeezing his fingers before slipping from his grasp.

"This…" He shakes his head, his lips trembling. "This isn't what it m-means."

"Forgive me."

"Tigress..."

She feels like her heart might be pulled from its cage.

* * *

The bandit is tied down, his head held high as Tigress enters his room.

This fills her with revulsion and anger. "Talk." Much of which is directed toward herself.

"You know I'll die, pussycat," he hisses through chapped lips, his scarred face steadily growing pale and gaunt. "I'll tell you nothing before death silences me forever."

"I'm not here to kill you."

"Really? Gonna let me out, so soon? That's pretty soft."

"As I said. Your freedom will be returned to you, after you talk."

"Too bad, then. 'Cause I already told you, I'm gonna die."

She unsheathes her claws.

* * *

Crane takes the crude note from Tigress, as she hadn't wanted to speak after she was finished.

She watches him take off, following his shrinking figure, then stares at the empty sky. It is huge and it threatens to swallow her whole.

* * *

Po can smell blood, sweat and urine. He can see these fluids in the wood, leaving behind their stains.

The bandit is unconscious, already tended to by Mantis.

The Dragon Warrior contemplates the cost of this information. Although Tigress meant only to put herself in debt, Po fees like he has lost something precious and pure that had withstood every other expense. This was something he was never willing to give. It was taken.

She is still his friend, his favourite, his heroine. When she touches him, she will still be gentle when appropriate, forceful when needed, and she will be familiar. She will hold his secrets to herself when he tells them to her in confidence. She will put her body and her life at risk to keep him safe.

Things have to return to normal.

He rubs his eyes on his arm, trying to compose himself. He could have stopped her. If there was something else they could've done, something honourable, the opportunity is now gone. If he had grabbed her paw and held onto it, she would have obeyed him. But he was so shaken. Perhaps this is his fault.

She will be withdrawn. She will mourn. She will hold herself accountable. She will believe she is less than she once was.

He will convince her otherwise, because she is his best friend and he loves her. He is just taking a moment to organise his thoughts and find self-control. He doesn't want her to think that this is a chasm they cannot cross to be close, again. He doesn't want her to feel alone.

The remaining Five will not love her any less for what she did.

Everything will be okay, soon. It'll all be normal, soon.

He just has to have hope.


End file.
